By plastic surgeon Dr Dirk Kremer. 

With lockdowns, social distancing, travel restrictions and venue closures, the world around us has often felt extremely limiting this year. However, one selection of people who may be finding some comfort in the wearing of face masks are those who have been undergoing certain plastic surgery procedures.

Plastic surgeons are reporting that despite the world being turned on its head, that hasn’t stopped a surge in enquiries for cosmetic surgery as this appears to be the perfect time for many to avoid having to make excuses as to why they can’t see friends or family following a neck lift or face lift, for example - and when they do venture outside they have the perfect camouflage while they heal behind their face mask.

Those who were unsure or holding back are now being persuaded

Those who were on the fence before about getting a nose job or facial implants due to the worry of not being able to hide the fact they’d undergone cosmetic work during their first few weeks of recovery may be now finding themselves convinced to go ahead with the procedure, mainly because of the obligatory face mask being a socially acceptable way to hide their secret.

Ironically, this means that during these socially restricted times it’s the face mask that’s actually helping cosmetic surgery patients become more social than they would’ve been. There are recovering patients who may have otherwise hid themselves away at home to avoid social situations until they felt more comfortable with their appearance, such as allowing bruising and swelling to fully subside. But now, as soon as they feel a little better within themselves, the face mask can cover much of those tell-tale signs of cosmetic surgery recovery and allow them to feel more relaxed about meeting with friends at a café or to go for a spot of shopping while no one suspects anything.

Patients taking advantage of available recovery time

According to plastic surgeons, masking up is motivating patients to go ahead with procedures they were otherwise putting off as it’s offering them a chance to have a seamless recovery with no need to fully hide away. It’s helping them feel less self-conscious about entering the healing process as they now know that they won’t be on display for others to judge, stare or ask questions.

Earlier in the year as a huge proportion of people were on furlough, surgeons were inundated with enquiries about nips and tucks, and people questioning how soon they could book themselves in for a procedure. It’s fairly clear evidence that the time required for recovery is one of the main things that holds a high number of people back from undergoing cosmetic surgery right away, what with having to arrange time off work etc.

The high percentage of people who found themselves working from home also brought rise to the popularity of Zoom meetings. This no doubt resulted in many people seeing themselves on camera lot more regularly, which inevitably leads to a rise in those self-criticising things they’re insecure about such as their facial aesthetics or simply the fact that they notice the aging process taking its toll. These things have all contributed to plastic surgeons receiving an influx of enquiries despite the current pandemic.

If you’d like to discuss any of the cosmetic procedures that I offer here at Harley St Aesthetics don’t hesitate to get in touch to book in your initial consultation. You can call 0845 519 7232, e-mail info@harleystreetaesthetics.com or complete the online contact form.